As we look at closing out a momentous year, your nonprofit needs to think about sustainability. My team and I spend every day at our shoe drive fundraising company speaking to social good leaders. And one of the things we know loud and clear is that this year was tough. Nonprofits, schools, and other groups need to get their fundraising revenue back to where it was before the pandemic. And that’s why hiring your fundraiser matters.
Social good has changed a lot in the last few years. For instance, you have platforms using artificial intelligence. And because of the pandemic, a lot of groups looked for virtual fundraising ideas. Nevertheless, you need to invest in your team, which means you want the best people on board with you. That’s especially true of the people you have fundraising for you. Skimping on salaries for professional fundraisers is the wrong approach. In short, a good fundraiser raises lots more than their salary. And that could mean the difference between thriving or just surviving.
Sure, it costs money to get the best. But again, you have to invest in your organization if you hope to grow it. So, what does hiring a top-notch fundraiser look like? What should you do and know from the outset?
1. Salary for Hiring Matters
Before you embark on the path to hiring a fundraiser, one of the first things you’re going to think about is salary. Be smart about it and take time to do a little research. Again, remember that a good fundraiser, in time, will pay for his or her salary.
When hiring, great resources exist out there, so you can see salary surveys and comparisons. For instance, The Chronicle of Philanthropy has various premium resources. Guidestar also offers a comprehensive salary report, which you can check out here. The bottom line is that you want to know what a competitive salary is for your fundraiser.
Yes, money is essential. So don’t skimp on investing in a talented fundraiser. Major donors understand this because they want your charity to sustain itself. So, if you don’t have the money you need, ask a few major donors for help. As an example, as an executive director, you could ask them to fund the purchase of topline compensation reports. Alternatively, you could ask them to invest the salary of a creative and smart fundraiser with a proven record of raising money. With an excellent fundraiser, this particular investment by a major donor will have returns.
2. Assess Your Nonprofit
Next, take a look at your fundraising effort. What are you doing well, especially as it concerns fundraising? Where do you need to improve? What are your goals and objectives? Do you want to expand your fundraising efforts and revenue streams by hiring a fundraiser, or do you want to do fundraising in one particular way? For example, are you looking to develop individual donors, or do you want to fundraiser only from corporate and foundation grants and events? Are you looking for a specialist or a generalist fundraiser?
Understanding the answers to those questions is vital. Depending on what you’re looking to do, the skillset and track record of the fundraiser you want to hire will be very different. One of the biggest mistakes I see time and time again is CEOs who wish to fundraise in one particular way. Then, they hire someone with a specific skillset for another type of fundraising. For instance, they want to raise money from individuals and open up that spigot only to hire a grant writer. Don’t make that mistake. If you want a grant writer, don’t hire a professional whose core experience is major gift work.
3. Hiring a Recruiter
I mentioned before that if you don’t have the money to hire a good fundraiser, you should ask a major donor for an investment. Here’s something to seriously consider as well: hire a recruiter. As a nonprofit leader, you’re a nonprofit expert. I’m sure you’re the best CEO there is in the work you do. But, a recruiter brings skills you likely don’t have and expertise from many organizations hiring fundraisers. In other words, they could spot talent who will positively add to your fundraising and team dynamics and steer clear of people who won’t be a fit.
Recruiters with experience placing fundraisers in the nonprofit sector know the skillsets of a good fundraiser. A good recruiter will ask you the right questions and help you define the skillsets and experience you require. When the job description gets completed, a good recruiter will help ensure you hire the type of fundraiser you want and need.
So many organizations go through a revolving door of fundraisers. Of course, the CEO thinks it’s always the fundraiser’s fault. But often, it’s not. If there’s a revolving door of fundraisers, you need to see if a reason may be that you essentially set up a fundraiser for failure. One of the easiest ways to do this is not having the competencies you need aligning with the individual who is doing the job.
4. Be Transparent
Finally, when hiring, you want to be honest with candidates. You want to present your organization in a positive light, but you have to be realistic. A good fundraiser understands there are probably challenges (and opportunities) in your fundraising efforts. That’s only natural. So you want to communicate what these are to candidates.
If your nonprofit is larger than a one-person shop, it probably makes sense to invite team members to have a conversation with a prospective fundraiser. Understand that a fundraiser is one of the few individuals who will likely interact with most everyone in a nonprofit. They will work closely with programs, marketing, finance, and operations teams, depending on your charity’s size.
Encourage team members to give fundraising candidates a positive but realistic view of what it means to work at your group. When the fundraiser asks you questions as the CEO, be frank. It’ll go a long way to ensuring that you get someone on board who’s coming to the job with the best possible understanding of what it means to work at your organization.
© 2020 Wayne Elsey. All Rights Reserved.